Turkish Higher Education Research Articles

Development of Distance Education Attitude Scale for Higher Education Students

Distance education has been constantly developed for decades and became the only choice for education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Turkish higher education, distance education practices were carried out for three semesters during the pandemic. Once again, distance education became the only means of education for higher education after the devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye in February 2023. Assessing the students’ attitudes towards distance education gained importance in order to enhance the learning outcomes of distance education and to define the problems the students had faced. Thus, the researchers aimed to develop a Distance Education Attitude Scale for Higher Education Students in this study. The data were collected from 875 undergraduate students from Turkish state universities. Explanatory Factor Analysis (nEFA= 583) unfolded a two-factor structure with 16 items – explaining 57% of the total variance. For the scale and its two factors, the Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient (.917, .914, .807) and McDonalds Omega coefficient (.920, .925, .811) were found satisfactory. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (nCFA= 292) supported the model-data fit and confirmed the reached structure. The "Distance Education Attitude Scale for Higher Education Students" is found to be valid and reliable. The scale is believed to contribute to the quality and efficiency of tertiary distance education practices.

An In-Depth Examination of Writing Assessment Literacy Among University Preparatory Students in Turkish Higher Education

As a nascent research domain, there is a scarcity of research studies that examine the levels of assessment literacy, perceptions, beliefs, and practices among students concerning their Student Writing Assessment Literacy (SWAL). To address this research gap, the present study adopts a mixed-methods design, incorporating the Scale of SWAL (Xu et al., 2023) alongside semi-structured interviews. 134 students answered the scale, while an additional twelve students volunteered to participate in the interviews. Student responses from the scale were subjected to analysis through descriptive statistics, revealing a notable correlation between students’ comprehension of assessment objectives and the manifestation of positive attitudes towards learning. Nevertheless, a misalignment was noticed between their theoretical understanding and beliefs and their pragmatic implementation regarding written assignments. Interview data underwent analysis through thematic analysis, elucidating four main themes: (1) feedback valuation, (2) scoring criteria awareness, (3) feedback delivery preferences, and (4) alternative assessment avoidance. Implications emphasise the importance of involving students in the assessment process and advocate for teacher training initiatives to enhance SWAL. Future research could broaden their scope to reach diverse academic levels and integrate grades as a variable. Overall, the present study provides valuable insights into SWAL, shedding light on assessment practices at the tertiary level.

English Language Awareness of Distance and Face-to-Face Learners in Turkish Higher Education

The main aim of the current study is to explore the profiles of language awareness of distance and face-to-face EFL learners. The study sheds light on the need to consider the effects of language awareness in distance and face-to-face education as language awareness is essential in foreign language learning in both education types and needs to be improved to make learners know much about how to use English. The main question addressed by the research is whether there are any differences between the language awareness of distance and face-to-face EFL learners regarding course type, gender, and age. The context of the study is Türkiye, where English is taught as a foreign language in higher education institutions. The study uses a survey method and includes 157 language learners distance and 225 face-to-face, 382 learners attending a state university in Türkiye. The study’s results unveiled significant differences between distance and face-to-face language learners regarding language awareness. There was an apparent disparity between distance-learning and face-to-face approaches in linguistic awareness and communicative awareness, as the face-to-face learning group scored significantly higher in these dimensions. While distance and face-to-face learners had close scores in the dimensions of cultural awareness and metacognitive awareness, the findings revealed that face-to-face learners scored somewhat higher, which helps to explain how the physical classroom setting may have some influence on learners’ cultural sensitivity and metacognitive awareness. The results suggested that distance education learners should improve their consciousness about language and have the necessary instruction to enhance their language awareness. Keywords: Distance education, face-to-face education, foreign language learning, higher education, language awareness,

English-medium instruction (EMI) as the great (un)equaliser: experiences of former EMI students in Turkey

ABSTRACT English-medium instruction (EMI) has gained traction in Turkey in recent decades. However, strict English proficiency requirements at EMI universities pose a problem for many students, whose English skills are much below the level required for EMI. These challenges cause some students to drop out of EMI and lead to an elite appropriation of EMI universities, thus perpetuating already existing inequities in Turkish higher education and society at large. However, little is known about barriers to EMI education. Understanding student experiences in this pipeline is important to shed light on how EMI contributes to social inequities. This study uses a Bourdieusian framework and a phenomenological design to explore the experiences of students who dropped out of a Turkish EMI university. Data were collected through 90-minute semi-structured interviews with five former EMI students. The results indicated that while the participants leveraged several forms of capital throughout their time at the focal EMI university, the mismatch between the capital possessed by the participants and that expected and endorsed by the EMI university alienated the participants, leading them to drop out eventually. The discussion includes implications for EMI policy and suggestions for context-driven EMI implementation.

The complexity of the grading system in Turkish higher education

Based on the academic performance grades of university students, various high-stakes decisions are made, including determinations of pass/fail status, the awarding of diplomas, and eligibility for placement in graduate education programs. According to the criteria used, the types of assessment are divided into two assessment, criterion-referenced assessments and norm-referenced assessments. When the grading system of state universities in Turkish higher education is examined, it has been observed that some universities use criterion-referenced assessment, some use norm-referenced assessment, and some use both assessment systems. The purpose of this research is to examine whether inter-university grading systems show significant concordance in the context of university students' letter grades or not. In other words, it is to reveal whether there are skew in the grading systems of public universities. In this context, 250 individuals were simulated in a way that their class/group achievement level would show a normal distribution. Among the public universities in the 2021-2022 Academic Performance Ranking of Universities (URAP), four state universities were determined in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, and last quarter. The letter grades of each student's academic success grade in the relevant universities were determined and it was examined whether there was a significant concordance between the letter grades of the students. In the study, it was concluded that in the context of university students' letter grades, inter-university grading systems generally do not show significant concordance. The findings are expected to contribute to the work of the Council of Higher Education and the University Education Commissions.

The Role of Research Universities in Turkish Higher Education

Araştırma üniversitelerinin yükseköğretimdeki yeri, ülkenin bilimsel ve teknolojik gelişimine katkıda bulunmaları ve öğrencilere öncü bir eğitim sunmaları nedeniyle önemlidir. Bu üniversiteler genellikle kapsamlı araştırma programlarına sahip ve öğrencilere, bilim ve teknoloji alanlarında en son bilgileri ve teknolojileri öğrenme fırsatları sunarlar. Araştırma üniversitelerinin yükseköğretimdeki yeri ile ilgili olarak öğrencilere sağladıkları öncü eğitim ve uygulamalı bilim ve teknoloji alanlarında öncü araştırmalar yapmaları ile ülkenin bilim ve teknoloji alanında rekabet edebilirliğini arttırmada önemli rol oynarlar. Ayrıca, araştırma üniversitelerinin yaptıkları araştırmalar ile ülkenin sektörlerinde çalışanlarına ve genel olarak toplumun bilgiye ve teknolojik gelişmelere erişimini sağlarlar. Bu çalışmada ülkemizdeki 23 araştırma üniversitesinin, 13 göstergeye göre konumlarının ve yükseköğretimdeki yerlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda 23 üniversitenin, özellikle araştırma bazlı ve lisansüstü eğitim göstergelerinde ülkemizdeki diğer 200’e yakın üniversitenin toplamı kadar yükseköğretime katkı sağladığı görülmüştür.

Öğretmen Adaylarının Uluslararası Deneyimleri Bağlamında Hizmet Öncesi Öğretmen Eğitimi Programlarının Uluslararasılaşma Açısından İncelenmesi

This article analyses the concept of internationalizing teacher education curricula in Turkish higher education. It relies on the data collected from the prospective teachers with an international experience during their pre-service teacher education process. The eleven participants from different teacher education programs of a state university in the west part of Türkiye explain their opinions on internationalization through comparisons between their university in Türkiye and the host university abroad, focusing on the curriculum used in each country. The findings mainly show that the prospective teachers have a favourable viewpoint regarding internationalization and agree with the necessity to add an international aspect to the teacher education curricula. However, they find the curricula in their countries insufficient for internationalization and for providing prospective teachers with a global perspective. Furthermore, they have more optimistic perceptions about the curricula used in the host countries and desire that teacher educators use more interactive teaching methods in their countries, too. These findings suggest that teacher education must include an international aspect in the curriculum, and this process must be integrative and multi-faceted.

Neo-nationalism and Turkish higher education: a phenomenological case study of a multilingual scholar’s identity (re)construction

ABSTRACT By placing a strong emphasis on one’s national, cultural, and ethnic identity, neonationalism, as a contemporary political and cultural movement, prioritizes ‘sameness’ over diversity. This phenomenological case study focused on Turkish universities which have been under increasingly oppressive neo-nationalist policies within the past 10 years. It examined the lived experiences of a multilingual scholar in regard to his identity (re)construction and socialization upon his return from the US to Türkiye (Turkey). Descriptions of Anıl’s lived experiences were longitudinally collected via in-depth interviews, anecdotal records, and bi-weekly journal entries. The findings indicated that one’s country of origin or nation-state becomes a source of discrimination not only in study abroad contexts, but also when international students and scholars return to their home countries. In other words, neo-nationalism in higher education institutions (HEIs) not only influences ‘the Other’ but also those within the same ‘nation’ with more progressive pedagogical beliefs and practices. The findings also underline the need to consider the phenomenon of transnational intersectionality when accounting for multilingual scholars’ identity (re)construction and socialization. Such an approach would help situate the complexities of transnationalism within the larger discussions of how HEIs are shaped by current neo-nationalist policies. This study also calls for further research to pay attention to colonial legacies such as linguicide and epistemicide within HEIs so as to encourage multilingual scholars to resist and dismantle oppressive policies and practices that govern academia both at local and global contexts.

Migration Education in Turkish Higher Education in the Framework of Nudge Theory: Policy, Curriculum and Institutional Development

Göç olgusunda toplumsal uyum tek yönlü değil göçmenlerin yanı sıra yerel halkın da katılımıyla çift yönlü bir süreçtir. Kamu politikasında politika yapıcılarının bu doğrultuda yerel halkın katkısını sağlamak için zorlayıcı politikalar yerine özgür seçim sunan dürtme teorisi gibi teşvik edici politikalar benimsemesi önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’deki yükseköğretim kurumlarının göç konusunda öğrencileri bilgilendirmek, akademik çalışmaları desteklemek ve bu kapsamda ürünler ortaya koymak için hangi araçları ne şekilde ve ne yoğunlukta kullandığının ortaya konulmasının yanı sıra bu konudaki eksiklikleri gidermek için dürtme teorisi çerçevesinde destekleyici kamu politikası önerileri sunulması amaçlanmaktadır. Araştırmanın kapsamını; göç konusunda verilen idari ve sosyal bölümlerdeki lisans dersleri, yapılan tezler, uygulama ve araştırma merkezleri ve YÖK 100/2000 Doktora Burs programları oluşturmaktadır. Söz konusu çalışmada kurumsal verilerin ve yazılı belgelerin içeriklerinin titizlikle ve sistematik şekilde analiz edilerek nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden birisi olan doküman analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulguları dürtme teorisi çerçevesinde değerlendirilerek öneriler sunulmuştur. Araştırma bulgularında siyaset bilimi, kamu yönetimi ve uluslararası ilişkiler bölümlerinin %30,8’de göç konulu ders verildiği, 33 uygulama ve araştırma merkezlerinin göç konusunda faaliyet gösterdiği ayrıca geçici koruma altındaki Suriyelilerin en fazla bulunduğu 10 ilden 3’ünde uygulama ve araştırma merkezinin yer almadığı görülmüştür. Göç konusunda YÖK 100/2000 doktora burs programı kapsamında ilk etapta tanınan önceliğin zamanla azaldığı anlaşılmıştır. 2011 yılıyla yoğunlaşmaya başlayan söz konusu içerikteki tezlerin ise 2022 yılıyla azalmaya başladığı tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda dürtme teorisine uygun olarak özgür seçimi sağlayacak idari ve sosyal bölümlerin tamamında göç konusunda daha fazla seçmeli lisans dersine müfredatta yer verilmesi önerilmektedir. Çok sayıda göçmen barındıran şehirlerdeki göç araştırma merkezlerinin sayısını artırmak için ilgili kamu kurumlarından eğitim ve materyal desteği sağlanmalıdır. YÖK 100/2000 Doktora Burs programlarında göç konusunda konu ve bölüm çeşitliliğinin ve kamu, akademi ve sivil toplum eliyle göç konulu tezlere verilen bursların sayısı ve miktarının artırılmasının da alana olumlu yönde katkı sunacağı düşünülmektedir.

A Study on the Profiles of Arabic Translation-Translator Candidates in Turkish Higher Education

Translation, an ancient activity, has only been acknowledged as an independent discipline since the 1970s. Translation Studies was introduced as a program in Turkish higher education in the 1980s, with English translation and interpreting programs being the first to emerge. It was not until 2011 that the first program for training Arabic translators and interpreters was established at Kırıkkale University. Subsequently, the same program was introduced in nine other universities. In this study, we explore the profiles of prospective Arabic translators and interpreters in ten Turkish universities offering undergraduate-level programs for Arabic translation and interpreting, focusing on various aspects such as gender, geographical location, educational background, high school type, academic ranking, foreign language test scores, program preferences, and post-graduation plans. Our findings indicate that female students show a greater inclination towards the program, with one-third of the students choosing the program in their city. Arabic translator-interpreter candidates mostly originate from the Central Anatolian Region, with one-third being recent graduates and another third being experienced ones. More than half of the students who enrolled in the program graduated from Imam-Hatip High School, and top-performing students are less inclined to select this program. On average, a language test score of forty-six is required for admission to the program. Finally, we found that students who completed the program often preferred programs related to Arabic language teaching and literature.

An Overview of Arabic Translation and Interpreting Programs in Turkish Higher Education

Although the history of translation is almost as old as the history of humankind, it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that translation studies were recognized as an independent discipline. Perhaps due to this fact, translation and interpreting programs at the higher education level started to be introduced in Turkey in the 1980s. These programs were English translation and interpreting programs. The first program to train Arabic translators and interpreters was opened at Kırıkkale University in 2011 and remained the only program in its field until 2017. Between 2017 and 2023, nine more Arabic translation and interpreting programs, six at public universities and three at private universities, started actively admitting students. In this study, Arabic translation and interpreting programs in Turkey are examined from various angles. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the demand for the departments at state universities was higher, the students with the highest scores preferred Istanbul University. Interpreter and translator students scored an average of forty-two points in the eighty-question foreign language exam and there were an average of 3.8 faculty members in these programs. Eight faculty members work in these programs and the students who are admitted to them are mostly placed in universities in their home cities. The total capacity of the programs is sufficient and, although there is no unity in the curriculum of the programs, similar courses are offered in different classes. The programs focus on language skills for the first two years and, subsequently, focus on translation-oriented courses. At the end of the study, we make some suggestions for translation and interpreting programs by making associations with the findings of the related literature.

An Evaluation On the Scope of the “Social Contribution in Turkish Higher Education”

Üniversitelerin toplumsal katkı açısından misyonları ve içinde bulundukları bölgedeki görevlerinin neler olduğu düşünülürse bir parçası olduğu topluma akademik katkılardan sonra sosyal, ekonomik ve beşerî-etik, etnik çeşitlilik, hümanizm vs. gibi- bazı açılardan katkı sağlamaları beklenir. Mezunlarının ileride bir parçası olacakları toplumu daha yakından tanımaları ve üniversitenin tüzel bir kişilik olarak toplumda bıraktığı izlenim ve etki, kurumun toplumdaki paydaşları ve uygulama alanları ile olan ilişkisini sağlam tutmasını sağlamakla kalmayacak aynı zamanda kabul edeceği öğrenci kitlesi ve akademisyen camiasının kalite ve etkililik seviyesini de artıracaktır. Başka bir ifade ile üniversitenin topluma maddi-manevi anlamda sağladığı katkı, bu durumun kurum adına bir “kazan-kazan” ilişkisine dönüşmesini sağlayabilir. Çalışmada, üniversitelerin “kurumsal sosyal sorumluluğu” kavramının üniversite-toplum ilişkisi ve paydaşları açısından nasıl bir önem arz ettiği, dünya genelinde bu iki unsurun sosyal sorumluluk tabanında nasıl birleştiği ve bu durumun Türkiye’deki tabloda nasıl seyrettiği gibi konulara değinilerek uygulamaya yönelik birkaç noktanın altı çizilecektir. Çalışmanın üniversitelerin kurumsal sorumluluğu ve toplum iş birliği açısından alandaki sayılı çalışmalara ek olarak global bir panorama çizmek ve Türk üniversiteleri açısından toplumsal katkı sağlamaya yönelik uygulamaların nasıl genişletilebileceğini vurgulamak adına alan yazına katkı sağlaması hedeflenmektedir.

Willingness to Listen in English: Voices from Preservice English Teachers in Turkish Higher Education

Willingness to communicate (WTC) in a target language is considered a critical variable impacting engagement when students learn the language. Notwithstanding the research conducted on WTC of students, fewer attempts have been made to investigate their willingness to listen (WTL), especially WTL augmentation. To address this gap, this research explored the impact of a long-term listening course on preservice teachers’ WTL in English and identifies underlying factors influencing their WTL. To this end, a mixed-methods research design consisting of pretest, post-test and interviews was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from 45 students with a 19-item WTL scale and qualitatively from 10 students through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive (means and standard deviations) and inferential (Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test) statistics, while qualitative data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that the long-term listening course was inadequate to improve preservice teachers’ WTL significantly and pointed to various individual, speaker, listener and skill variables that influenced participants’ existing and increasing levels of WTL in English. These results are beneficial to English practitioners when designing practical activities and courses to enhance English listening skills, especially when communicating with interlocutors from diverse linguacultural backgrounds amid today's English diversity.

Development of Organizational Agility Scale in Higher Education: A Validity and Reliability Study

To become third generation university, higher education (HE) institutions must compete, create value for internal and external stakeholders, and adapt to changing market conditions. The concept of organizational agility (OA) refers to a dynamic organization that can sense the change imposed by internal and external elements, routinely implement change, and has the capacity to learn continuously. Based on this concept, this research aims to develop a scale to discover the perceptional evaluations of academic and administrative staff of public universities in the context of OA, and thereby to establish an OA framework for public universities. The research was carried out in psychometric design. The resulting Organizational Agility Scale in Higher Education was pilot tested and administered to 893 academic and administrative staff from 10 public universities in Istanbul. The principal components analysis with varimax rotation supported four dimensions. Through confirmatory factor analysis, four-factor structure was found to be at acceptable level. Four dimensions of the scale (strategy and staff-oriented organizational design, internal stakeholder orientation, cooperation with external stakeholders, support for innovation) focus more on human side of higher education institutions and less on change management and responsiveness, compared to business agility. The findings imply that institutional and national efforts are needed to form a strategy and stakeholder-oriented organization design for universities. A separate OA framework should be constructed for private universities to reach a more holistic understanding of Turkish HE and to compare public and private higher education institutions and to discover how Turkish HE system can be more agile and responsive in national and international contexts.

The Course of Managerialism in Turkish Higher Education: An Analysis of Quality Assurance Policies and Practices

Neoliberal policies in higher education in Turkey started after the 1980s and manifested in managerial practices since the 2000s. This trend resulted in the commercialization of higher education and the increased managerial control over academic activity. The purpose of the paper is to study managerialism on the policies of the Council of Higher Education (Yükseköğretim Kurulu, hereafter YÖK) and its practices in universities in Turkey. The implementation of quality assurance policies through YÖK is a key component in understanding managerialism in the university context. The paper is based on documentary analysis of quality assurance regulations as well as internal quality assurance reports of Middle East Technical University (Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, hereafter ODTÜ). Documentary analysis gave us the opportunity to track the historical course of quality assurance policies and practices. We find out that managerial policies and practices are on the rise during the last two decades in Turkey through the requirement of quality assurance processes by YÖK, and that the reflection of YÖK requirements in university practices is variable in different managerial dimensions.

Rankings of Higher Education Systems and Evaluations on Turkish Higher Education

Bilgi toplumuna geçiş süreci ile birlikte yaşam boyu öğrenme ve farklı öğrenme kaynakları önem kazanmış, yükseköğretimden beklentiler artmış, değişmiş ve tüm dünyada üniversiteler toplumların ilgi odağı hâline gelmiştir. Üniversitelere artan bu ilgileye ek olarak eleştiriler de başlamış, klasik üniversitenin sonunun geldiği; iş dünyası, akademisyenler, politika yapıcılar ve öğrenciler tarafından da sıklıkla vurgulanmıştır. Bu süreçte üniversitelerin kitleselleşmesi, küreselleşmesi, piyasalaşması ve yükseköğretimde kalite ve performans vurgularının artması neticesinde üniversitelerin konumlarına ilişkin ölçülebilir ve karşılaştırılabilir verilere talep artmış, sonuç olarak hem uluslararası hem de ulusal düzeyde sıralama ve derecelendirme sistemleri ortaya çıkmıştır. Yükseköğretim sıralama ve derecelendirme sistemleri üzerine yapılan araştırmalar, çalışmalar ve yazılan tezler genel olarak bireysel yükseköğretim kurumları ve üniversitelerin sıralanması boyutuna odaklanmış, ülkelerin genel yükseköğretim sistemlerini ele alan, inceleyen sıralamalar üzerinde çok fazla durulmamıştır. Bu çalışmada; küresel yükseköğretim sıralama sistemlerinden U21 Ulusal Yükseköğretim Sistemleri Sıralaması ve QS Dünyanın En Güçlü Yükseköğretim Sistemleri Sıralaması ele alınmış, kullandıkları metodolojiler detaylı bir şekilde incelenip karşılaştırılmış, diğer uluslararası sıralama ve derecelendirme sistemleriyle benzerlikleri ve farklılıkları tartışılmış ve bu sistemlere ilişkin yapılan değerlendirmeler paylaşılmıştır. Ayrıca, Türk yükseköğretiminin bu sistemlerdeki geçmişten günümüze konumuna değinilmiş, süreç içindeki değişimi ele alınmış ve durum değerlendirmeleri yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın, bir bütün olarak yükseköğretim sistemlerinin durumuna ve bu yönde gerçekleştirilen sıralamalara dikkat çekmesi ve politika yapıcılara, yükseköğretim araştırmacılarına farklı bir bakış açısı sunması beklenmektedir.

Direct Access to English-Medium Higher Education in Turkey: Variations in Entry Language Scores

The internalization of higher education has led to exponential growth in the number of English-medium (EMI) programs worldwide. The minimum level of English proficiency for prospective EMI students to manage the linguistics demands in these programs has recently been investigated. This study aims to explore the EMI higher education context in Turkey in terms of the language requirements for direct access to EMI undergraduate programs. In this study, 57 Turkish public universities offering EMI undergraduate programs were examined in terms of the language requirements, and the rationale behind setting those standards. The data were collected from the official policy documents and websites of the universities. The results indicated that required language scores are varied and the decisions of setting those scores are not empirically founded. This study implies the need for a common policy for language requirements based on the empirical studies and the international frameworks in Turkish higher education.

Strategic Responses to Quality Management in Turkish Higher Education

In the study, from a developed preliminary conceptual new institutionalist framework to determine the different strategic responses of organizations as a result of institutional pressures for conformity and predict the formation of alternative strategies; which strategic responses were given (acquiesce or defy or manipulate) from the Turkish higher education institutions that conform to the normatively presented quality management tried to determine. In the study, PLS-SEM algorithms were applied with SmartPLS software. The findings concluded that the "acquiesce" strategic response against normative pressure from the institutional pressures for the adoption of quality management in Turkish higher education, and the "manipulate" strategic response is given against mimetic pressure. According to the results obtained in this study, the acquiesce response as a strategic response to the normative pressures for higher education institutions to adopt quality management reveals that normative pressure is an essential tool for establishing quality in higher education. This indicates that success has been achieved in the systematic establishment of quality management on a national basis in Turkiye. Conformity to ESG standards brings success to Turkish higher education and enables Turkiye to complete its integration with Europe in higher education as soon as possible.

Developing a Student Satisfaction Index and a Strategic Management Map for Turkish Higher Education

This research aims to examine student satisfaction at higher education institutions through the estimation of a student satisfaction index (SSI) by simultaneously building a strategic management map (SMM) to help higher education leaders identify the areas for improvement at their institutions during Covid-19 induced hybrid education in Turkish Higher Education. The research was carried out with university students at a well-known foundation university in Turkey during Covid-19 pandemic. American Customer Satisfaction Model (ACSI) was used as a lens of analyisis to demonstrate the causal relationship between the antecedents and consequences of student satisfaction in Turkish Higher Education. The partial least squares (PLS) estimation was employed to test the model and obtain the SSI score. Given the complex nature of student satisfaction and loyalty, the model was found to adequately predict overall student satisfaction and loyalty. SSI score of 64.95 was found to be lower than the weighted average of all sectors in the United States in 2021. The SMM that was built to examine the relative importance of each quality attributes demonstrated that the perceived utility/benefit and interactional/process-based quality attributes have the greatest positive influence on satisfaction score.

Academic Promotion and Appointment Process in Higher Education since the Proclamation of the Turkish Republic

This study aims to examine the changes in the procedures and principles of obtaining academic titles in Turkish higher education from the proclamation of the new Republic, and the appointment of those who have these titles to academic positions. By applying the document analysis method, the changes in the law of universities, higher education laws, regulations for academic staff promotion and appointment, published in the Official Gazette since 1933, were examined. A total of twenty-two laws and regulations and the related changes were examined, which revealed that the highest number of changes were made in the titles and appointments of associate professors and professors (totally forty-eight) in the law of universities and higher education law. Nineteen changes were made regarding academic titles in the academic promotion and appointment regulations. To conclude, despite its long-established structure, Turkish higher education has made many significant and frequent changes to its academic title awarding and appointment procedures, primarily due to sociopolitical reasons.